Board members of the River Forest Park District contemplated reaching out to their Oak Park counterparts Monday night during a discussion about the merger of the area’s two youth traveling soccer clubs.
The merger of the OP-RF Strikers and the River Forest Rapids will be effective in May, with the new team called Chicago Edge SC. Rapids President Tim Drane said the club wasn’t asking for more field space; board members and meeting attendees said Oak Park could offer more because they have more.
Drane also said he was looking into having a discussion with the Park District of Oak Park in the future, a move commissioner Lou Nieto thought should take place between the River Forest and Oak Park park boards.
Another concern regarding the merger was how to keep the 600 participants on over 40 teams predominantly from Oak Park and River Forest.
Drane said participant numbers are down and the club would have less money available for financial aid, but the fee might control who participates.
“We’re at the point where we couldn’t raise the fee anymore,” Drane said, adding it will cost almost $1,500 for each participant of a U9 team or above. Park board President Tom Cargie suggested offering lower rates for River Forest residents.
Nieto questioned whether the new club should be as high a priority as youth sports already offered in River Forest. Nieto said he supports the new club, but its fees may increase because of a lack of competition.
Board Vice President Molly Hague said the club could be grandfathered in for two years to see how their participant numbers progress. She said it was the board’s job to offer support because “we want soccer in our community” and “we don’t want them to fail.”